Nightmare
by Jenna of the Red Robes
Summary: Raven couldn't remember the last time she had actually slept restfully. She was constantly woken up by her relentless nightmares. This is the story of the people who helped her through them. A bit of cute kid Charles and Raven, a bit of Erik x Raven, and a bit of sadness.


Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men...or Marvel...

Please enjoy this little story! :)

And if it's confusing: The first section is based when Charles and Raven were little kids, the middle and last bit are both after First Class.

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Raven cried out in her sleep, while a thin layer of sweat formed on her skin. The young girl shivered and tugged helplessly at the sheets that had become tangled around her.

"No, no, NO!" The mutant shouted unconsciously, deeply caught within the thrall of her horrible nightmare. She continued to struggle and thrash as a young boy ran into the room.

He looked around quickly - attempting to assess the threat, and he was suitably surprised when he saw that there was no actual danger, such as an intruder. Instead, all he saw was his adopted sister moaning in her bed. And, being the good big brother that he was, he rushed to her side.

"Raven," Charles whispered gently as he shook her shoulder gingerly, trying to ease her into wakefulness. "Sister," He continued, sighing in relief when he saw her eyes open.

Her bright eyes had a wild glint to them and she was rapidly looking around the room. Raven took quick, erratic breaths - still not seeming to recognize her surroundings.

Charles sat down on her bed and put his small arm around her quivering form. "Shhhhh, " He hummed quietly as he rubbed small circles on her back.

"Ch-Charles?" Raven whimpered, looking up at the kid next to her.

"It's me Raven." Charles assured her. "Try to calm your mind, you've just had a nightmare." He explained soothingly, in a tone much more mature than befitting his young age.

Raven focused on her brother's comforting hand on her back as she leaned into his embrace. She tried to take a steadying breath but, it came out shakier than she had intended. Charles continued to speak to her softly, trying to ease her racing mind.

"It-it felt so real!" She blurted out brokenly.

"But it wasn't," Charles stated rationally. "Remember Raven, it was all in your head." He said, with a playful tap to her forehead to emphasize his point. She forced a small smile in response, still working on calming down.

Raven laid her head down on her big brother's shoulder and closed her eyes. They sat together like this, in a peaceful silence for a few minutes while she collected herself.

When her breathing had returned to its normal pace and her mind was no longer scattered, she opened her eyes back up and fixed her solemn stare on Charles.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked hesitantly, gauging her response. Charles was actually quite curious about what had frightened his sister so thoroughly.

Raven was silent for a few moments before giving him a tiny nod in affirmation. "It was about my parents," She admitted in a small voice. "They-they found me here and," Raven paused as her eyes began to glisten. "They grabbed me, forced me from you. They attacked you and took me away and, and..." She stopped and couldn't continue. Charles didn't mind because he knew that her parents were horrible people and he didn't want her to relive any memories of them.

"No one will ever take you away from me, Raven. I promise, as your big brother, that I will never ever let anything bad happen to you." Charles vowed seriously. He then proceeded to give Raven a big hug.

She didn't know how to respond to his vow, so she just hugged him back and hoped that he could sense her gratefulness.

"Now you really do need to get some sleep." He said lightly as he pulled away from her.

"No!" She yelled, grabbing his arm. Raven looked down bashfully after her loud shout and continued in a quieter voice, "Please, don't leave me alone." She said vulnerably, looking back up at him with her pleading eyes.

"Okay Raven." He agreed, indulging her. Charles pulled her close and kissed her temple. He then did his best to tuck them both in under the covers while his sister snuggled into his side.

"Goodnight Charles," She whispered sleepily.

"Goodnight Raven," He responded contentedly.

Raven slept peacefully through the rest of the night, her brother's presence making her feel safe.

Throughout the next few years, she could always count on Charles to chase the nightmares away.

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Raven tossed and turned in their small bed in the rundown motel, her mind full of turmoil. She suddenly screamed loudly, awakening the man next to her.

"No, no, NO!" She shrieked, clawing at her pillow. The man roughly grabbed her shoulder and shook her to pull her from the nightmare.

Raven looked around, shocked at the sudden contact. She was hyperventilating and immediately noticed the death grip she had upon her cheap pillow.

"E-Erik?" She questioned, looking at the man who was still holding her shoulder.

"You've just had a nightmare Raven." He said matter-of-factly. Noticing the still frightened look upon her beautiful blue features, he slid his arm around her back and pulled her towards him.

Erik knew that he had suffered through his fair share of nightmares, thanks to the war, the camps...he had plenty to remember. He also knew how private one's dreams could be so, he knew better than to ask Raven what her nightmare had been about.

Instead, he offered her his silent comfort, keeping his arm tight around her and letting her bury her face in his shoulder. Erik rubbed her arm gently, hoping to calm her down. No, he wouldn't ask about it but, he also wouldn't make her suffer it alone.

Once he felt her heart beat return somewhat to normalcy, he placed his hand under her chin and lifted her face to be angled towards him. Erik looked searchingly into her eyes, trying to convey his intentions without speaking.

Raven looked graciously back up at him, infinitely glad that he hadn't asked about her dream. It had been about Charles and she knew they both weren't ready to talk about him. Since they had left him on that beach in Cuba, neither of them had even mentioned him. Raven missed her brother greatly but, she had made her choice and chosen Erik. She hoped that one day she would be able to live with that decision and not constantly think about what would have happened if she had stayed with Charles.

In the dream, her and Erik had found themselves on the opposite side of a battlefield than Charles. A storm raged over them as Erik advanced menacingly towards her brother while she was engaged in a fist fight with Hank. From her vantage point she was able to see as Erik levitated a sharp shard of metal and sent it soaring towards Charles. Everything began moving in slow motion as she watched the projectile pierce his chest, causing him to scream out in pain. Raven yelled out in shock and disbelief. She started to run towards Charles but, Hank got in her way and continued to fight her. Hoping to quickly end their fight, the shape-shifter grabbed the nearest weapon to her which happened to be another wicked looking shard of metal. Without even processing what she was doing, she gripped it tightly and blindly stabbed it into Hank's chest. He collapsed to the ground as Raven realized what she had done. She had killed him.

Her eyes clouded as flashbacks of the nightmare continued to came back to her. Ever attentive, Erik noticed the distress in her face and swiftly leaned down to capture her lips in his. He hoped to distract her from her dream and by the way she deepened the kiss, he knew his distraction technique was working.

After a few moments she broke away and wrapped her arms around Erik's chest while laying her head upon his shoulder. He responded in kind by putting his arms around her as well.

"Thank you," Raven whispered so softly that Erik almost didn't hear it.

She slept calmly through the rest of the night, entwined in Erik's arms that always made her feel protected.

Throughout the next few years, she could always count on Erik to chase the nightmares away.

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Raven woke up gasping, trying desperately to catch her breath. Her sheets lay on the floor, she had unknowingly thrown them from her while she was caught in the horrors of her unconscious mind.

She angrily rose from the motel bed and stalked to the window near it. Raven looked out upon the night, taking into account the stars that twinkled brightly - seeming to mock her distress. She looked back into her empty room and, not for the first time, felt an overwhelming sense of loss.

Raven couldn't remember the last time she had actually slept restfully. She was constantly woken up by her relentless nightmares.

It was always some variation of the same scenario: Raven would be out, enjoying the day with Charles and Erik when something horrible happens. Whether it be an unseen assailant, or a freak force of nature, something always attacks them and takes the lives of the two men she loves most in the world. In the dream she is always frozen, forced to watch them die and unable to do anything to help them. Then she is left alone, so terrifyingly alone.

Raven hated the nightmares but no matter what she did, she could never get rid of them.

She knew why they wouldn't leave her - they clung to her because the only people who used to be able to make them go away were no longer in her life.

Erik was incarcerated under the Pentagon and she hadn't seen him in years. She truly thought that she would never see him again.

Raven didn't know where Charles was but, she never looked for him because she knew he wouldn't want to see her. Why would he want to see his traitor sister who abandoned him when he needed her the most?

With those bleak thoughts in mind, she defeatedly picked up her covers and crawled back into her bed.

Raven closed her eyes and tried to pretend that she could hear Charles' soothing voice, promising that he would never leave her and that he would always keep her safe.

She imagined the feeling of Erik's strong arms around her, offering his silent protection.

Like fleeting memories, she could barely hold on to the fantasies. Charles' voice faded away and Erik's touch vanished as she fell back into a fitful sleep.

Throughout the next few years, she couldn't count on anyone to chase the nightmares away.

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Thank you so much for reading this! Did you like it? Let me know in the reviews! :)

When I started writing this I planned on making it a happy little story and somewhere along the way it turned kind of sad :(

Have a wonderful day and thanks again for reading!


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